Shower apparatus



April 15, 1941- H. A. MULLETT 2,238,393

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April 15, 1941.

H. A. MULLETT SHOWER APPARATUS Filed April 26, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet '2 36 43 l 49 |NvENToR .45 24 v l BY 9 Quan/41 ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 15, 1941 SHOWER. APPARATUS Howard A. Mullen. Milwaukee, Wis., Washfountain Company,

Bradley asslgnor to Milwaukee,

Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin i Application April 26, 1939, SerialvNo. 270,093

2 Claims.

The invention relates to showers and more particularly to group showers.

In public institutions, largeindustrial plants of certain kinds, and in( recreational centers group showers are used, and in some cases the amount of water used in these showers is considerable, and it, therefore, becomes desirable to prevent waste'ofwater in the use of these showers. The object of the present invention is to provide an arrangement by which the supply of water to the shower is controlled by the bather, so that water is supplied to the shower only during the time the bather is using or desires to use the shower;

A further object of the invention is to provide a group shower arrangement in which each of the showers in the group has its water supply controlled by the bather, the controls being grouped about a central standard.

The invention further consists in the several features hereinafter set forth and more particularly-deflned by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings: l

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through a shower apparatus embodying the invention taken on the line I-I of Fig. 2, parts being broken away;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the shower apparatus embodying the invention, parts being broken away; f ,Y

Fig. 3 is a detailed sectional view ltaken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a detailed sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a detailed sectional-view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a detailed sectional view through thev lower end of the apparatus showing the water supply coming from the bottom;

Fig. 7 is a detailed sectional view through the supply connections where the watercomes from the bottom, parts being broken away.

Fig. 8 is a detailed sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 1.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, the shower apparatus is formed to provide a plurality of compartments I6 grouped about a central standard I I. The compartments I0 are formed by partitions I2 detachably secured to said central standard and to the posts I3 of an outer framea which postsare secured togetherby tubing I4 and are secured to the standard IIA by radially disposed brace rods I5.

A shower head I6 is provided for each compartment which receives its water supply through a pipe I1 connected through a valve controlled passage with a supply head I8 which may be supplied with water either from above or below.

As herein shown the head I8 is mounted at the top of the central standard II which in- -with a threaded socket 21 cludes a plain tubing section I8 and a base tting 2u having a tubular portion 2| and a anged base 22 to which a drain pipe 23 is fitted. The tubing section I9 at its `ends fits into'sockets in said head I8 and base tting 20. As shown in Fig. l, the head is clamped to the upper end of the section I9 by one or more set screws 24, similar screws also being used to clamp said tubing to the tubular portion 2l of the base fitting 20. A pipe 25 has its upper threaded end 26 connected in the bottom wall of the head and at its lower. end to a guide plate 28 disposed adjacent the lower end of the tubing I9.

rIfhe head I6 hasa cavity 30 formed therein which, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, connects with an overhead supply pipe 3| of tempered water leading to the central portion of said cavity.

For controlling the supply of water from the cavity 30 to each ofthe pipes I1, an operatorcontrolled valve mechanism is provided. Each valve mechanism includes a valve housing 32 in the form of an elbow fitting having threaded connection with the pipe I1 and with an opening 33 leading into the head I8. A valve seat and casing member 34 is mounted in a bore 35 in the housing 32 and is clamped against a shoulder 36 by a gland member 31, a packing 33 being interposed between said shoulder 36 and shoulder formed by the reduction of the diameter of the lower end of said housing 32 and a stuflng box packing 39 being interposed between the gland member 31 and a disc 40 seating on the top of the casing member 34. The gland member 31 is clamped down onto the packing 39 by a flanged nut 4I having threaded engagement with the valve housing 32. The valve 42 has a'composition head member 43 clamped to' a stem 44 by a flanged washer 45 and nut 46. The stem works through the stufllng box formed by the parts 31, 39, and 40, and its exposed end has a collar 41 secured to it, and a spring 48 is interposed between said collar 41 and the member 31 to normally hold said valve against its seat 49 at the lower end of the housing 34 which has a series of openings 56 therein, any one of which may align with the opening 5I in the lcasing 32 which leads to the outlet with which the pipe I1 is connected.

Each valve 42 is operated by a lever 52 pivotally mounted at one end on a pivot pin 53 carried by the head I6 and provided with an adjustable tappet screw 54 intermediate its ends engageable with the exposed end of the valve and at its outer end provided with an aperture 55 through which a rod 56 passes, said rod provided with a pair of adjustable stop nuts 51 at its upper end, the lower of which engages said lever 52, said rod extending down through a tral standard I9 and through a slot in the plate 28 and having a stop 80 at its end engaged by the forked end 6I of a bather-operated lever 52.

The lever 62 is formed by a pair of metal frame members or strips 63 which are Iioined together in closely spaced relation at their' forward portions to form the forked ends I engaging said stop 60 and are spread out at their back ends and secured to a ring-shaped frame member 54 at points about two-thirds of the diameter of said member 84. The ring member 64 has a platform member 65 welded to it and of a size which permits the operator to shift his position from the front to the midportion or the rear portion of said platform, and said platform may, as. indicated at 66 in Fig. 2, have its top surface roughened or a coating material providing a roughened surface applied thereto. This platform 65 is also welded to the tops of the spread portions of the strips 63.

For pivoting the lever 82 intermediate its ends a pair of oppositely disposed socket members 61 are secured to said lever by being welded to the sides of the ring 64 at a distance of about twothirds of the diameter of said member 64 and back from the front of said ring or that part nearest to the standard II. These socket members B1 engage with complementary projections 68 formed on studs 69 set into the concrete oor or part 10 forming the oor of the room in which the shower is located.

The forked end 6I of the lever 62 projects through a slot 1I in the tubular portion 2| of the member 20, and the bottom of this slot limits the extent of downward movement of the lever 62 and hence the extent of opening movement of 65 the valve 42. The member also is provided with a plurality of radially disposed drainage openings 12, so that the waste water may drain from the oor 1I| into said fltting 20 and then into the drain pipe 2l.

In order to prevent ready removal of the lever 52, a locking device is provided therefor comprising a bar 13 carrying at its lower end a pin 14 anchored in the floor 10 and its upper end provided with a slot 15 through which a bolt 16 carried by the lever 62 is loosely fitted, so that while the bar 13 does not interfere with the normal operation of the lever 62, it will prevent bodily removal of said lever.

'I'he inner end of the lever 52. the rod 55, and the lever 52 are normally urged to an inoperative or raised position by a spring 11 linterposed between the head I5 and the lever 52. In this position the upward movement of the lever 62 is limited by the upper end of the slot 1I In those instances where the water supply is brought in from below the base of the shower, the supply connections may be formed as shown in Figs. 6 and 7 wherein a tempered water supply pipe 18 connects with an elbow 19 in a tting 50 forming part of the drain pipe 8|, said elbow fitting connected at its upper end with a pipe 83 which extends up through the fitting 25, the tubing section I9, and has a threaded connection at its upper end with an opening 54 which in this instance is provided in the boss 21 of the head I8, the upper supply opening to said head being closed oif by a pipe plug 85. A plate 80 similar to the plate 28 is secured to the pipe 83 by a set screw 51, said plate having guide openings 88 therein for the valve-operating rods 55.

with the construction above described when the bather enters one of the compartments III and steps on or puts his weight on the platform the lever engageable forwardly of the pivotal connections formed by the parts 61 and 55, the lever 52 will be depressed and hence the rod 54 and the valve-operating lever 52 moved downwardly against the action of the spring 11, the-screw 54 engaging the top of the valve stem 48 and pushing it downwardly to open the valve 42 and allow tempered water to pass from the head I8 to the pipe I1 and the shower head I6 'for the compartment in which the bather is located, and the water is sprayed' upon the bather positioned on the platform 55. Under these conditions the-operator may move about on the platform 55, and the water will be supplied so long"as the weight of the bather is applied by him forwardly of the pivot connections of the lever 62, it being noted that the depressed position of said lever is limited by the bottom of the slot -1I and brings the platform to a substantially level position. If while the bather is on the platform 65, he wishes to shut olf the supply of water, all he has to do is to move or shift his weight to the outer end portion of the platform, that is,l tothe part to the rear of the members 61, and then the lever 62 will be tilted upwardly to the normal inoperative position of said lever and the valve-operating parts as shown in Fig. 1. As soon as the bather steps off of the platform 55, the valve and its operating mechanism will be returned to a closed position. 'I'hus the shower will only remain in use while the bather is on the platform 65 although it may, at any time the bather wishes, be stopped while the bather is on said platform.

Each compartment may have a foldable curtain 89 mounted on the frame I4.

It will also be understood that the partitions I2 may be omitted and that such an arrangement will provide bathing spaces under the substantially equal spaced shower heads.

I desire it to be understood that this invention is not to be limited to any particular form or arrangement of parts except in so far as such limitations are included in the claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a shower apparatus having a standard provided with a drain opening in its lower portion and a shower head carried by said standard, the combination of a water supply connection for said head mounted on said standard, a spring closed valve in said connection -to control the flow of water to said head. and means for operating said valve comprising a pivoted lever projecting into said standard and limited'in its movement by the walls thereof, said lever having a platform on which .the bather stands while operating the valve.

2. In a shower apparatus having a hollow standard rising from the ioor and provided with a floor drain opening in its lower portion and a shower head carried by said standard for directlng water toward the floor, the combination of a water supply fitting at the upper end of said standard, a connection from said supply fitting to said head, a spring closed poppet valve for controlling passage of water through said connection, a pivoted lever mounted on said fitting and engageable with said valve, a pivoted lever under said head projecting into said standard and provided with a platform on which the bather stands, and a rod extending up through said standard and operatively connecting said last named lever with with the valve.

HOWARD AA. MULLETT. 

